Bio-economy strategy launched

Pretoria - A strategy to help grow the agricultural and manufacturing industry was announced in Pretoria on Tuesday.

“We hope this strategy is a strong player in the South African economy,” said Glaudina Loots, director of health innovation at the department of science and technology.

The strategy, seven years in the making, would focus on growing the South African economy and meeting the needs of its people. It would look at how technology could be used to improve the lives of people in rural areas.

Science and Technology Minister Derek Hanekom said one of the issues the strategy would deal with was food security.

“We want to achieve food security in a sustainable manner, using modern science. Research can help us to do that,” he said.

The department of science and technology would work with the departments of health, agriculture, environmental affairs and rural development to achieve its goals.